Gaza's Rafah border crossing has reopened but few people get through

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — When the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt finally reopened this week, Palestinian officials heralded it as a “window of hope” after two years of war as a fragile ceasefire deal moves forward.

But that hope has been sidetracked by disagreements over who should be allowed through, hourslong delays and Palestinian travelers' reports of being handcuffed and interrogated by Israeli soldiers.

Far fewer people than expected have crossed in both directions. Restrictions negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and international officials meant that only 50 people would be allowed to return to Gaza each day and 50 medical patients — along with two companions for each — would be allowed to leave.

But over the first four days of operations, just 36 Palestinians requiring medical care were allowed to leave for Egypt, plus 62 companions, according to United Nations data. Palestinian officials say nearly 20,000 people in Gaza are seeking to leave for medical care that they say is not available in the war-shattered territory.

Amid confusion around the reopening, the Rafah crossing was closed Friday and Saturday.

The Rafah crossing is a lifeline for Gaza, providing the only link to the outside world not controlled by Israel. Israel seized it in May 2024, though traffic through the crossing was heavily restricted even before that.

Several women who managed to return to Gaza after its reopening recounted to The Associated Press harsh treatment by Israeli authorities and an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab. A European Union mission and Palestinian officials run the border crossing, and Israel has its screening facility some distance away.

Rana al-Louh, anxious to return two years after fleeing to Egypt with her wounded sister, said Israeli screeners asked multiple times why she wanted to go back to Gaza during questioning that lasted more than six hours. She said she was blindfolded and handcuffed, an allegation made by others.

“I told them I returned to Palestine because my husband and kids are there,” al-Louh said. Interrogators told her Gaza belonged to Israel and that “the war would return, that Hamas won’t give up its weapons. I told him I didn’t care, I wanted to return.”

Asked about such reports, Israel's military replied that "no incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions or confiscation of property by the Israeli security establishment are known.”

The Shin Bet intelligence agency and COGAT, the Israeli military body that handles Palestinian civilian affairs and coordinates the crossings, did not respond to questions about the allegations.

The long questioning Wednesday delayed the return to Gaza of al-Louh and others until nearly 2 a.m. Thursday.

Later that day, U.N. human rights officials noted a “consistent pattern of ill-treatment, abuse and humiliation by Israeli military forces.”

“After two years of utter devastation, being able to return to their families and what remains of their homes in safety and dignity is the bare minimum,” Ajith Sunghay, the agency’s human rights chief for the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a statement.

Officials who negotiated the Rafah reopening were clear that the early days of operation would be a pilot. If successful, the number of people crossing could increase.

Challenges quickly emerged. On the first day, Monday, Israeli officials said 71 patients and companions were approved to leave Gaza, with 46 Palestinians approved to enter. Inside Gaza, however, organizers with the World Health Organization were able to arrange transportation for only 12 people that day, so other patients stayed behind, according to a person briefed on the operations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Israeli officials insisted that no Palestinians would be allowed to enter Gaza until all the departures were complete. Then they said that since only 12 people had left Gaza, only 12 could enter, leaving the rest to wait on the Egyptian side of the border overnight, according to the person briefed on the operations.

Crossings picked up on the second day, when 40 people were allowed to leave Gaza and 40 to enter. But delays mounted as many returning travelers had more luggage than set out in the agreement reached by negotiators and items that were forbidden, including cigarettes and water and other liquids like perfume. Each traveler is allowed to carry one mobile phone and a small amount of money if they submit a declaration 24 hours ahead of travel.

Each time a Palestinian was admitted to Egypt, Israeli authorities allowed one more into Gaza, drawing out the process.

The problems continued Wednesday and Thursday, with the numbers allowed to cross declining. The bus carrying Wednesday's returnees from the crossing did not reach its drop-off location in Gaza until 1:40 a.m. Thursday.

Still, some Palestinians said they were grateful to have made the journey.

As Siham Omran’s return to Gaza stretched into early Thursday, she steadied herself with thoughts of her children and husband, whom she had not seen for 20 months. She said she was exhausted, and stunned by Gaza’s devastation.

“This is a journey of suffering. Being away from home is difficult,” she said. “Thank God we have returned to our country, our homes, and our homeland.”

Now she shares a tent with 15 family members, using her blouse for a pillow.

Elhennawy reported from Cairo and Geller from New York. Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Siham Omran, 54, recently returned from Egypt after completing medical treatment, cooks food over a fire beside her tent in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Siham Omran, 54, recently returned from Egypt after completing medical treatment, cooks food over a fire beside her tent in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Rana al-Louh, 45, sits with her granddaughter, Sumaya Abu Suleiman, 3, inside the tent where they live, which had been erected in a schoolyard converted into a shelter in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Siham Omran, 54, recently returned from Egypt after completing her medical treatment, looks at the tents of displaced people next to her that were set up in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians carry the belongings of relatives arriving in Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, early Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians patients and their relatives gather to board a bus in Khan Younis before they head to the Rafah crossing, leaving the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Struggling Premier League giant Manchester United fired Michael Carrick on Thursday and was closing in on a deal to replace him with U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino in moves that could shake up soccer on both sides of the Atlantic.

United was hopeful of announcing Pochettino's appointment before he takes charge of the U.S. team’s upcoming games against Haiti on Saturday and Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

While the move could end years of decline for the 20-time English champion, the loss of Pochettino would be a major blow to the U.S. national team so soon after he signed a four-year contract extension through to the 2030 World Cup.

Carrick was fired after overseeing United's worst start to a Premier League season, leaving the it in the relegation zone after 10 games. Pochettino is seen as the man to resurrect the once dominant club's fortunes after years of decline.

The 54-year-old Argentine had previously been a leading candidate for the job in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired.

Pochettino has coached Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League and won the French title with Paris Saint-Germain. He took over the U.S. in 2024 and led it to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup.

United States striker Folarin Balogun said Thursday he wanted the coach to stay on with the national team.

“If I had a vote I would like to keep things the way they are,” he said.

Carrick’s departure comes less than six months after he was given a two-year contract and the responsibility of bringing the good times back to United, which hasn’t won the league since managerial great Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

A 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday left United 18th in the 20-team standings after just one league win all season. With eight points from 10 games, it is United’s worst start for 40 years — predating the Premier League era.

“After a disappointing start to the season, the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions,” United said.

United added that the club intended to "appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.”

Carrick was told by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox on Thursday morning that his reign had come to an end following an internal review.

Firing Carrick comes after he insisted he would not walk away from the job following the chaotic draw with Villa that highlighted United’s defensive flaws.

It means United is on the hunt for an eighth permanent manager since Ferguson’s departure 13 years ago, a turbulent period in which the club has been overtaken by Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Carrick, a serial title-winner as a player under Ferguson, was appointed on a short-term deal midway through last season and guided the team to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification.

That earned him a long-term contract but things have unraveled quickly this season, with just three wins in all competitions, an eight-game winless run in the league and elimination from the English League Cup.

Top players Bruno Fernandes, the team captain, and Lisandro Martinez have also added to the sense of crisis with criticism of tactics and the club’s leadership, respectively.

“Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend,” United said. "Just as he did as a player, he has conducted himself with the highest standards of dedication and professionalism throughout his time back with the club.

“His leadership and achievements last season will always be fondly remembered.”

Carrick took charge of training on Wednesday and was seen arriving at United's training ground on Thursday, before leaving soon after.

The firing of another manager will increase scrutiny on United’s ownership — the Glazer family in the United States and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, through his INEOS petrochemicals group.

Fans staged their latest protests against the owners during the Villa game, calling on them to sell the club.

“It is time for the owners to explain themselves and show some accountability,” the Manchester United Supporters' Trust said in a statement.

There is also increasing pressure on Berrada and Wilcox after another failed coaching appointment.

Since Ferguson, Champions League-winning coaches Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho have won cups at United but were ousted after failing to mount serious title challenges in the Premier League.

In recent years, highly rated and emerging coaches like Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim also failed to meet the club’s expectations, while former players in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Carrick have also come up short.

“The reason Manchester United fans have continued to support Michael Carrick in recent weeks is that they know that responsibility for United’s problems do not primarily rest with him or indeed his predecessors as manager. They lie with the ownership," the supporters' trust said. “The Glazers’ debt-funded takeover continues to burden the club. When INEOS came in they promised sporting excellence, but yet with repeated changes in football leadership we have seen anything but.”

AP Sports Writer Steve Douglas contributed to this story.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

U.S. Men's National Soccer Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks on the pitch during practice, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Fayetteville, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)